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Lopes AR, Martín-Hernández R, Higes M, Segura SK, Henriques D, Pinto MA. Colonisation Patterns of Nosema ceranae in the Azores Archipelago. Vet Sci 2022; 9:vetsci9070320. [PMID: 35878337 PMCID: PMC9323992 DOI: 10.3390/vetsci9070320] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2022] [Revised: 06/21/2022] [Accepted: 06/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Nosema ceranae is a highly prevalent pathogen of Apis mellifera, which is distributed worldwide. However, there may still exist isolated areas that remain free of N. ceranae. Herein, we used molecular tools to survey the Azores to detect N. ceranae and unravel its colonisation patterns. To that end, we sampled 474 colonies from eight islands in 2014/2015 and 91 from four islands in 2020. The findings revealed that N. ceranae was not only present but also the dominant species in the Azores. In 2014/2015, N. apis was rare and N. ceranae prevalence varied between 2.7% in São Jorge and 50.7% in Pico. In 2020, N. ceranae prevalence increased significantly (p < 0.001) in Terceira and São Jorge also showing higher infection levels. The spatiotemporal patterns suggest that N. ceranae colonised the archipelago recently, and it rapidly spread across other islands, where at least two independent introductions might have occurred. Flores and Santa Maria have escaped the N. ceranae invasion, and it is remarkable that Santa Maria is also free of Varroa destructor, which makes it one of the last places in Europe where the honey bee remains naive to these two major biotic stressors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Rita Lopes
- Centro de Investigação de Montanha, Instituto Politécnico de Bragança, Campus de Santa Apolónia, 5300-253 Bragança, Portugal; (A.R.L.); (D.H.)
| | - Raquel Martín-Hernández
- Laboratorio de Patología Apícola, IRIAF—Instituto Regional de Investigación y Desarrollo Agroalimentario y Forestal, Centro de Investigación Apícola y Agroambiental (CIAPA), Consejería de Agricultura de la Junta de Comunidades de Castilla-La Mancha, Camino de San Martín, 19180 Marchamalo, Spain; (R.M.-H.); (M.H.)
- Instituto de Recursos Humanos para la Ciencia y la Tecnología (INCRECYT-FSE/EC-ESF), Fundación Parque Científico y Tecnológico de Castilla—La Mancha, 02006 Albacete, Spain
| | - Mariano Higes
- Laboratorio de Patología Apícola, IRIAF—Instituto Regional de Investigación y Desarrollo Agroalimentario y Forestal, Centro de Investigación Apícola y Agroambiental (CIAPA), Consejería de Agricultura de la Junta de Comunidades de Castilla-La Mancha, Camino de San Martín, 19180 Marchamalo, Spain; (R.M.-H.); (M.H.)
| | - Sara Kafafi Segura
- Zoología y Antropología Física, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, 28014 Madrid, Spain;
| | - Dora Henriques
- Centro de Investigação de Montanha, Instituto Politécnico de Bragança, Campus de Santa Apolónia, 5300-253 Bragança, Portugal; (A.R.L.); (D.H.)
| | - Maria Alice Pinto
- Centro de Investigação de Montanha, Instituto Politécnico de Bragança, Campus de Santa Apolónia, 5300-253 Bragança, Portugal; (A.R.L.); (D.H.)
- Correspondence:
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Jabal-Uriel C, Albarracín VN, Calatayud J, Higes M, Martín-Hernández R. Age and Season Effect the Timing of Adult Worker Honeybee Infection by Nosema ceranae. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2022; 11:823050. [PMID: 35155274 PMCID: PMC8836290 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2021.823050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2021] [Accepted: 12/29/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The microsporidia Nosema ceranae is an intracellular parasite of honeybees’ midgut, highly prevalent in Apis mellifera colonies for which important epidemiological information is still unknown. Our research aimed at understanding how age and season influence the onset of infection in honeybees and its development in the colony environment. Adult worker honeybees of less than 24h were marked and introduced into 6 different colonies in assays carried out in spring and autumn. Bees of known age were individually analyzed by PCR for Nosema spp. infection and those resulting positive were studied to determine the load by Real Time-qPCR. The age of onset and development of infection in each season was studied on a total of 2401 bees and the probability and the load of infection for both periods was established with two statistical models. First N. ceranae infected honeybees were detected at day 5 post emergence (p.e.; spring) and at day 4 p.e. (autumn) and in-hive prevalence increased from that point onwards, reaching the highest mean infection on day 18 p.e. (spring). The probability of infection increased significantly with age in both periods although the age variable better correlated in spring. The N. ceranae load tended to increase with age in both periods, although the age-load relationship was clearer in spring than in autumn. Therefore, age and season play an important role on the probability and the development of N. ceranae infection in honeybees, bringing important information to understand how it spreads within a colony.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clara Jabal-Uriel
- Laboratorio de Patología Apícola, Centro de Investigación Apícola y Agroambiental (CIAPA), Instituto Regional de Investigación y Desarrollo Agroalimentario y Forestal (IRIAF), Consejería de Agricultura de la Junta de Comunidades de Castilla-La Mancha, Marchamalo, Spain
| | - Verónica N. Albarracín
- Facultad de Agronomía y Zootecnia de la Universidad Nacional de Tucumán, Tucumán, Argentina
| | - Joaquín Calatayud
- Departamento de Biología, Geología, Física y Química inorgánica, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, Madrid, Spain
| | - Mariano Higes
- Laboratorio de Patología Apícola, Centro de Investigación Apícola y Agroambiental (CIAPA), Instituto Regional de Investigación y Desarrollo Agroalimentario y Forestal (IRIAF), Consejería de Agricultura de la Junta de Comunidades de Castilla-La Mancha, Marchamalo, Spain
| | - Raquel Martín-Hernández
- Laboratorio de Patología Apícola, Centro de Investigación Apícola y Agroambiental (CIAPA), Instituto Regional de Investigación y Desarrollo Agroalimentario y Forestal (IRIAF), Consejería de Agricultura de la Junta de Comunidades de Castilla-La Mancha, Marchamalo, Spain
- Instituto de Recursos Humanos para la Ciencia y la Tecnología (INCRECYT – ESF/EC-FSE), Fundación Parque Científico y Tecnológico de Castilla – La Mancha, Albacete, Spain
- *Correspondence: Raquel Martín-Hernández,
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Polymorphism of 16s rRNA Gene: Any Effect on the Biomolecular Quantitation of the Honey Bee (Apis mellifera L., 1758) Pathogen Nosema ceranae? APPLIED SCIENCES-BASEL 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/app12010422] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
The microsporidian Nosema ceranae is a severe threat to the western honey bee Apis mellifera, as it is responsible for nosemosis type C, which leads the colonies to dwindle and collapse. Infection quantification is essential to clinical and research aims. Assessment is made often with molecular assays based on rRNA genes, which are present in the N. ceranae genome as multiple and polymorphic copies. This study aims to compare two different methods of Real-Time PCR (qPCR), respectively relying on the 16S rRNA and Hsp70 genes, the first of which is described as a multiple and polymorphic gene. Young worker bees, hatched in the laboratory and artificially inoculated with N. ceranae spores, were incubated at 33 °C and subject to different treatment regimens. Samples were taken post-infection and analyzed with both qPCR methods. Compared to Hsp70, the 16S rRNA method systematically detected higher abundance. Straightforward conversion between the two methods is made impossible by erratic 16s rRNA/Hsp70 ratios. The 16s rRNA polymorphism showed an increase around the inoculated dose, where a higher prevalence of ungerminated spores was expected due to the treatment effects. The possible genetic background of that irregular distribution is discussed in detail. The polymorphic nature of 16S rRNA showed to be a limit in the infection quantification. More reliably, the N. ceranae abundance can be assessed in honey bee samples with methods based on the single-copy gene Hsp70.
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Snow JW. Nosema apis and N. ceranae Infection in Honey bees: A Model for Host-Pathogen Interactions in Insects. EXPERIENTIA SUPPLEMENTUM (2012) 2022; 114:153-177. [PMID: 35544003 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-93306-7_7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
There has been increased focus on the role of microbial attack as a potential cause of recent declines in the health of the western honey bee, Apis mellifera. The Nosema species, N. apis and N. ceranae, are microsporidian parasites that are pathogenic to honey bees, and infection by these species has been implicated as a key factor in honey bee losses. Honey bees infected with both Nosema spp. display significant changes in their biology at the cellular, tissue, and organismal levels impacting host metabolism, immune function, physiology, and behavior. Infected individuals lead to colony dysfunction and can contribute to colony disease in some circumstances. The means through which parasite growth and tissue pathology in the midgut lead to the dramatic physiological and behavioral changes at the organismal level are only partially understood. In addition, we possess only a limited appreciation of the elements of the host environment that impact pathogen growth and development. Critical for answering these questions is a mechanistic understanding of the host and pathogen machinery responsible for host-pathogen interactions. A number of approaches are already being used to elucidate these mechanisms, and promising new tools may allow for gain- and loss-of-function experiments to accelerate future progress.
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Truong AT, Sevin S, Kim S, Yoo MS, Cho YS, Yoon B. Rapidly quantitative detection of Nosema ceranae in honeybees using ultra-rapid real-time quantitative PCR. J Vet Sci 2021; 22:e40. [PMID: 34056881 PMCID: PMC8170219 DOI: 10.4142/jvs.2021.22.e40] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2020] [Revised: 03/10/2021] [Accepted: 04/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The microsporidian parasite Nosema ceranae is a global problem in honeybee populations and is known to cause winter mortality. A sensitive and rapid tool for stable quantitative detection is necessary to establish further research related to the diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of this pathogen. OBJECTIVES The present study aimed to develop a quantitative method that incorporates ultra-rapid real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (UR-qPCR) for the rapid enumeration of N. ceranae in infected bees. METHODS A procedure for UR-qPCR detection of N. ceranae was developed, and the advantages of molecular detection were evaluated in comparison with microscopic enumeration. RESULTS UR-qPCR was more sensitive than microscopic enumeration for detecting two copies of N. ceranae DNA and 24 spores per bee. Meanwhile, the limit of detection by microscopy was 2.40 × 10⁴ spores/bee, and the stable detection level was ≥ 2.40 × 10⁵ spores/bee. The results of N. ceranae calculations from the infected honeybees and purified spores by UR-qPCR showed that the DNA copy number was approximately 8-fold higher than the spore count. Additionally, honeybees infected with N. ceranae with 2.74 × 10⁴ copies of N. ceranae DNA were incapable of detection by microscopy. The results of quantitative analysis using UR-qPCR were accomplished within 20 min. CONCLUSIONS UR-qPCR is expected to be the most rapid molecular method for Nosema detection and has been developed for diagnosing nosemosis at low levels of infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Tai Truong
- Department of Life Science, College of Fusion Science, Kyonggi University, Suwon 16227, Korea.,Faculty of Biotechnology, Thai Nguyen University of Sciences, Thai Nguyen 250000, Vietnam.,Parasitic and Honeybee Disease Laboratory, Bacterial Disease Division, Department of Animal & Plant Health Research, Animal and Plant Quarantine Agency, Gimcheon 39660, Korea
| | - Sedat Sevin
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ankara University, Ankara 06560, Turkey
| | - Seonmi Kim
- Department of Life Science, College of Fusion Science, Kyonggi University, Suwon 16227, Korea
| | - Mi Sun Yoo
- Parasitic and Honeybee Disease Laboratory, Bacterial Disease Division, Department of Animal & Plant Health Research, Animal and Plant Quarantine Agency, Gimcheon 39660, Korea
| | - Yun Sang Cho
- Parasitic and Honeybee Disease Laboratory, Bacterial Disease Division, Department of Animal & Plant Health Research, Animal and Plant Quarantine Agency, Gimcheon 39660, Korea.
| | - Byoungsu Yoon
- Department of Life Science, College of Fusion Science, Kyonggi University, Suwon 16227, Korea.
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Pașca C, Matei IA, Diaconeasa Z, Rotaru A, Erler S, Dezmirean DS. Biologically Active Extracts from Different Medicinal Plants Tested as Potential Additives against Bee Pathogens. Antibiotics (Basel) 2021; 10:antibiotics10080960. [PMID: 34439010 PMCID: PMC8388991 DOI: 10.3390/antibiotics10080960] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2021] [Revised: 08/01/2021] [Accepted: 08/06/2021] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Honey bees (Apis mellifera) perform pollination service for many agricultural crops and contribute to the global economy in agriculture and bee products. However, honey bee health is an ongoing concern, as illustrated by persistent local population decline, caused by some severe bee diseases (e.g., nosemosis, AFB, EFB, chalkbrood). Three natural recipes are in development based on the bioactive compounds of different plants extract (Agastache foeniculum, Artemisia absinthium, Evernia prunastri, Humulus lupulus, Laurus nobilis, Origanum vulgare and Vaccinium myrtillus), characterised by HPLC-PDA. The antimicrobial activity of these recipes was tested in vitro against Paenibacillus larvae, Paenibacillus alvei, Brevibacillus laterosporus, Enterococcus faecalis, Ascosphaera apis and in vivo against Nosema ceranae. A mix of 20% blueberry, 40% absinthium, 10% oakmoss, 10% oregano, 10% Brewers Gold hops, 5% bay laurel and 5% anise hyssop extract showed the strongest antibacterial and antifungal activity. Combing several highly active plant extracts might be an alternative treatment against bee-disease-associated parasites and pathogens, in particular to replace synthetic antibiotics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claudia Pașca
- Department of Apiculture and Sericulture, Faculty of Animal Sciences and Biotechnologies, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine Cluj-Napoca, Calea Mănăștur 3-5, 400372 Cluj-Napoca, Romania;
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +40-73-369-6413
| | - Ioana Adriana Matei
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine Cluj-Napoca, Calea Mănăștur 3-5, 400372 Cluj-Napoca, Romania;
| | - Zorița Diaconeasa
- Department of Chemistry, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Food Science and Technology, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine Cluj-Napoca, Calea Mănăștur 3-5, 400372 Cluj-Napoca, Romania;
| | - Ancuța Rotaru
- Department of Fundamental Science, Faculty of Animal Science and Biotechnology, University of Animal Sciences and Veterinary Medicine 3-5, 400372 Cluj-Napoca, Romania;
| | - Silvio Erler
- Julius Kühn Institute (JKI)-Federal Research Centre for Cultivated Plants, Institute for Bee Protection, Messeweg 11-12, 38104 Braunschweig, Germany;
| | - Daniel Severus Dezmirean
- Department of Apiculture and Sericulture, Faculty of Animal Sciences and Biotechnologies, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine Cluj-Napoca, Calea Mănăștur 3-5, 400372 Cluj-Napoca, Romania;
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Ostroverkhova NV. Association between the Microsatellite Ap243, AC117 and SV185 Polymorphisms and Nosema Disease in the Dark Forest Bee Apis mellifera mellifera. Vet Sci 2020; 8:vetsci8010002. [PMID: 33383841 PMCID: PMC7823830 DOI: 10.3390/vetsci8010002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2020] [Accepted: 12/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
The microsporidian Nosema parasites, primarily Nosema ceranae, remain critical threats to the health of the honey bee Apis mellifera. One promising intervention approach is the breeding of Nosema-resistant honey bee colonies using molecular technologies, for example marker-assisted selection (MAS). For this, specific genetic markers used in bee selection should be developed. The objective of the paper is to search for associations between some microsatellite markers and Nosema disease in a dark forest bee Apis mellifera mellifera. For the dark forest bee, the most promising molecular genetic markers for determining resistance to nosemosis are microsatellite loci AC117, Ap243 and SV185, the alleles of which (“177”, “263” and “269”, respectively) were associated with a low level of Nosema infection. This article is the first associative study aimed at finding DNA loci of resistance to nosemosis in the dark forest bee. Nevertheless, microsatellite markers identified can be used to predict the risk of developing the Nosema disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nadezhda V. Ostroverkhova
- Invertebrate Zoology Department, Biology Institute, National Research Tomsk State University, 36 Lenina Avenue, 634050 Tomsk, Russia; ; Tel.: +7-3822-529-461
- Department of Biology and Genetics, Siberian State Medical University, 2 Moskovsky Trakt, 634055 Tomsk, Russia
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Prevalence of the Microsporidian Nosema spp. in Honey Bee Populations ( Apis mellifera) in Some Ecological Regions of North Asia. Vet Sci 2020; 7:vetsci7030111. [PMID: 32823756 PMCID: PMC7559424 DOI: 10.3390/vetsci7030111] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2020] [Revised: 08/08/2020] [Accepted: 08/10/2020] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Two species of microsporidia, Nosema apis and Nosema ceranae, are obligate intracellular parasites that are widespread in the world and cause the infectious disease (Nosemosis) of the Western honey bee Apis mellifera. Information on the prevalence and distribution of Nosema species in North Asia conditions is scarce. The main aim of the present study is to determine the prevalence of Nosema spp. (Nosemosis) in honey bees inhabiting some inland regions of North Asia (Western and Eastern Siberia, Altai Territory, Russia, and northeastern part of Kazakhstan). The objective of the paper is also to assess the influence of climatic factors on the spread of N. ceranae. Eighty apiaries in four ecological regions of North Asia (southern taiga, sub-taiga zone, forest steppe, and mountain taiga forests) were investigated with regard to distribution, prevalence, and diversity of Nosema infection in honey bees using duplex-PCR. Nosema infected bees were found in 65% apiaries of ecoregions studied, and coinfection was predominant (36.3% of Nosema-positive apiaries). Both N. apis and N. ceranae occur across subarctic and warm summer continental climates, but while N. apis predominates in the former, N. ceranae is more predominant in the latter. No statistically significant differences in Nosema distribution were identified in various climatic zones. In the sub-taiga zone (subarctic climate), low presence of colonies with pure N. ceranae and a significantly higher proportion of coinfection apiaries were revealed. Long-term epidemiological study of Nosema spp. prevalence in the sub-taiga zone showed a surprising percentage increase of Nosema-positive apiaries from 46.2% to 74.1% during 2012–2017. From 2012 to 2015, N. apis became a predominant species, but in 2016–2017, the coinfection was mainly detected. In conclusion, the results of this investigation showed that N. ceranae is widespread in all study ecoregions of North Asia where it exists in combination with the N. apis, but there is no replacement of N. apis by N. ceranae in the studied bee populations.
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Grupe AC, Quandt CA. A growing pandemic: A review of Nosema parasites in globally distributed domesticated and native bees. PLoS Pathog 2020; 16:e1008580. [PMID: 32555676 PMCID: PMC7302437 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1008580] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Arthur C. Grupe
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado, United States of America
| | - C. Alisha Quandt
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado, United States of America
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Barraud A, Vanderplanck M, Nadarajah S, Michez D. The impact of pollen quality on the sensitivity of bumblebees to pesticides. ACTA OECOLOGICA 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.actao.2020.103552] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
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Urbieta-Magro A, Higes M, Meana A, Gómez-Moracho T, Rodríguez-García C, Barrios L, Martín-Hernández R. The levels of natural Nosema spp. infection in Apis mellifera iberiensis brood stages. Int J Parasitol 2019; 49:657-667. [PMID: 31170411 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpara.2019.04.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2019] [Revised: 04/08/2019] [Accepted: 04/10/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Nosema ceranae is the most prevalent endoparasite of Apis mellifera iberiensis and it is a major health problem for bees worldwide. The infective capacity of N. ceranae has been demonstrated experimentally in honey bee brood, however no data are available about its prevalence in brood under natural conditions. Thus, brood combs from 10 different hives were analyzed over two consecutive years, taking samples before and after winter. A total of 1433 larvae/pupae were analyzed individually and N. ceranae (3.53%) was the microsporidian most frequently detected, as opposed to Nosema apis (0.42%) which was more frequently detected in conjunction with N. ceranae (0.71%). The active multiplication of both microsporidians was confirmed by the expression (real-time-PCR) of the N. ceranae polar tube protein 3 gene and/or the N. apis RNA polymerase II gene in 24% of the brood samples positive for Nosema spp. Both genes are related to microsporidian multiplication. As such, N. ceranae multiplication was confirmed in 1.06% of the samples, while N. apis multiplication was only observed in co-infections with N. ceranae (0.07%). Brood cells were analyzed for the presence of Nosema spp., as those are the immediate environment where the brood stages develop. The brood samples infected by Nosema spp. were in brood cells in which that microsporidians were not detected, while brood cells positive for N. ceranae hosted brood stages that were not apparently infected, indicating that this is unlikely to be the main pathway of infection. Finally, the colonies with brood infected by N. ceranae showed higher levels (numbers) of infected adult bees, although the differences were not significant before (P = 0.260), during (P = 0.055) or after (P = 0.056) brood sampling. These results show that N. ceranae is a bee parasite ubiquitous to all members of the colony, irrespective of the age of the bee. It is also of veterinary interest and should be considered when studying the epidemiology of the disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Almudena Urbieta-Magro
- Laboratorio de Patología Apícola, Centro de Investigación Apícola y Agroambiental (CIAPA), Instituto Regional de Investigación y Desarrollo Agroalimentario y Forestal (IRIAF), Consejería de Agricultura de la Junta de Comunidades de Castilla-La Mancha, Camino de San Martín s/n, 19180 Marchamalo, Guadalajara, Spain
| | - Mariano Higes
- Laboratorio de Patología Apícola, Centro de Investigación Apícola y Agroambiental (CIAPA), Instituto Regional de Investigación y Desarrollo Agroalimentario y Forestal (IRIAF), Consejería de Agricultura de la Junta de Comunidades de Castilla-La Mancha, Camino de San Martín s/n, 19180 Marchamalo, Guadalajara, Spain
| | - Aránzazu Meana
- Departamento de Sanidad Animal, Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Spain
| | - Tamara Gómez-Moracho
- Laboratorio de Patología Apícola, Centro de Investigación Apícola y Agroambiental (CIAPA), Instituto Regional de Investigación y Desarrollo Agroalimentario y Forestal (IRIAF), Consejería de Agricultura de la Junta de Comunidades de Castilla-La Mancha, Camino de San Martín s/n, 19180 Marchamalo, Guadalajara, Spain
| | - Cristina Rodríguez-García
- Laboratorio de Patología Apícola, Centro de Investigación Apícola y Agroambiental (CIAPA), Instituto Regional de Investigación y Desarrollo Agroalimentario y Forestal (IRIAF), Consejería de Agricultura de la Junta de Comunidades de Castilla-La Mancha, Camino de San Martín s/n, 19180 Marchamalo, Guadalajara, Spain
| | - Laura Barrios
- Statistics Department, Computing Center SGAI-CSIC, Madrid, Spain
| | - Raquel Martín-Hernández
- Laboratorio de Patología Apícola, Centro de Investigación Apícola y Agroambiental (CIAPA), Instituto Regional de Investigación y Desarrollo Agroalimentario y Forestal (IRIAF), Consejería de Agricultura de la Junta de Comunidades de Castilla-La Mancha, Camino de San Martín s/n, 19180 Marchamalo, Guadalajara, Spain; Instituto de Recursos Humanos para la Ciencia y la Tecnología (INCRECYT-FEDER), Fundación Parque Científico y Tecnológico de Castilla - La Mancha, Spain.
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12
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Peters MJ, Suwannapong G, Pelin A, Corradi N. Genetic and Genome Analyses Reveal Genetically Distinct Populations of the Bee Pathogen Nosema ceranae from Thailand. MICROBIAL ECOLOGY 2019; 77:877-889. [PMID: 30288544 DOI: 10.1007/s00248-018-1268-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2018] [Accepted: 09/25/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
The recent global decline in Western honeybee (Apis mellifera) populations is of great concern for pollination and honey production worldwide. Declining honeybee populations are frequently infected by the microsporidian pathogen Nosema ceranae. This species was originally described in the Asiatic honeybee (Apis cerana), and its identification in global A. mellifera hives could result from a recent host transfer. Recent genome studies have found that global populations of this parasite are polyploid and that humans may have fueled their global expansion. To better understand N. ceranae biology, we investigated its genetic diversity within part of their native range (Thailand) and among different hosts (A. mellifera, A. cerana) using both PCR and genome-based methods. We find that Thai N. ceranae populations share many SNPs with other global populations and appear to be clonal. However, in stark contrast with previous studies, we found that these populations also carry many SNPs not found elsewhere, indicating that these populations have evolved in their current geographic location for some time. Our genome analyses also indicate the potential presence of diploidy within Thai populations of N. ceranae.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melissa J Peters
- Department of Biology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | | | - Adrian Pelin
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
- Center for Cancer Therapeutics, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Nicolas Corradi
- Department of Biology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
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Herrera A, Smith-Herron A, Traub N, Yount K, Chapman BR. Prevalence of honey bee ( Apis mellifera) parasites across Texas. SOUTHWEST NAT 2018. [DOI: 10.1894/swnat-d-17-00027.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra Herrera
- Texas Invasive Species Institute, Sam Houston State University, Huntsville, TX 77341 (AH, AS-H, NT)
| | - Autumn Smith-Herron
- Texas Invasive Species Institute, Sam Houston State University, Huntsville, TX 77341 (AH, AS-H, NT)
| | - Nicole Traub
- Texas Invasive Species Institute, Sam Houston State University, Huntsville, TX 77341 (AH, AS-H, NT)
| | - Kristina Yount
- Department of Math and Statistics, Sam Houston State University, Huntsville, TX 77341 (KY)
| | - Brian R. Chapman
- Texas Research Institute for Environmental Studies, Sam Houston State University, Huntsville, TX 77341 (BRC)
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14
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Khezri M, Moharrami M, Modirrousta H, Torkaman M, Salehi S, Rokhzad B, Khanbabai H. Molecular detection of Nosema ceranae in the apiaries of Kurdistan province, Iran. VETERINARY RESEARCH FORUM : AN INTERNATIONAL QUARTERLY JOURNAL 2018; 9:273-278. [PMID: 30357093 PMCID: PMC6198153 DOI: 10.30466/vrf.2018.32086] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2017] [Accepted: 02/24/2018] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Nosema disease is one of the most important diseases of adult honey bees worldwide. It is known as silent killer because there are no characteristic symptoms. The aim of the present study was to determine prevalence of Nosema species in various towns of Kurdistan province in Iran. A multiplex polymerase chain reaction (multiplex-PCR) was performed for identification of Nosema species infecting European honeybee, Apis mellifera. A total of 100 samples were collected from apiaries (870 hives) in 10 counties of Kurdistan province, located in the west of Iran. Samples were examined using light microscope and PCR. The light microscope was used to determine the presence of Nosema spores in all of the collected samples. Multiplex-PCR based on 16S ribosomal RNA was used to differentiate N. apis from N. ceranae. Overall prevalence of the microscopic evaluation and PCR method were 29.00% and 32.00%, respectively. The analysis of Nosema isolates from interrogation of DNA databank entries of Kurdistan apiaries (based on rRNA sequence data) indicated that only N. ceranae was widespread in these apiaries, and it had already been found in high percentages (50.00%) in Marivan and Kamiaran counties of Kurdistan province. It was shown that only N. ceranae was found by PCR assay in the region.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohammad Khezri
- Department of Veterinary Research, Kurdistan Agricultural and Natural Resources Research Center, AREEO, Sanandaj, Iran;
| | - Mojtaba Moharrami
- Department of Honey Bee, Silk Worm and Wildlife Research Diseases, Razi Vaccine and Serum Research Institute, AREEO, Karaj, Iran.
| | - Hossain Modirrousta
- Department of Honey Bee, Silk Worm and Wildlife Research Diseases, Razi Vaccine and Serum Research Institute, AREEO, Karaj, Iran.
| | - Maryam Torkaman
- Department of Honey Bee, Silk Worm and Wildlife Research Diseases, Razi Vaccine and Serum Research Institute, AREEO, Karaj, Iran.
| | - Saleh Salehi
- Department of Veterinary Research, Kurdistan Agricultural and Natural Resources Research Center, AREEO, Sanandaj, Iran;
| | - Babak Rokhzad
- Department of Veterinary Research, Kurdistan Agricultural and Natural Resources Research Center, AREEO, Sanandaj, Iran;
| | - Homan Khanbabai
- Department of Veterinary Research, Kurdistan Agricultural and Natural Resources Research Center, AREEO, Sanandaj, Iran;
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Chronic Nosema ceranae infection inflicts comprehensive and persistent immunosuppression and accelerated lipid loss in host Apis mellifera honey bees. Int J Parasitol 2018; 48:433-444. [PMID: 29452081 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpara.2017.11.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2017] [Revised: 10/31/2017] [Accepted: 11/07/2017] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Nosema ceranae is an intracellular microsporidian parasite of the Asian honey bee Apis cerana and the European honey bee Apis mellifera. Until relatively recently, A. mellifera honey bees were naïve to N. ceranae infection. Symptoms of nosemosis, or Nosema disease, in the infected hosts include immunosuppression, damage to gut epithelium, nutrient and energetic stress, precocious foraging and reduced longevity of infected bees. Links remain unclear between immunosuppression, the symptoms of nutrient and energetic stress, and precocious foraging behavior of hosts. To clarify physiological connections, we inoculated newly emerged A. mellifera adult workers with N. ceranae spores, and over 21 days post inoculation (21 days pi), gauged infection intensity and quantified expression of genes representing two innate immune pathways, Toll and Imd. Additionally, we measured each host's whole-body protein, lipids, carbohydrates and quantified respirometric and activity levels. Results show sustained suppression of genes of both humorally regulated immune response pathways after 6 days pi. At 7 days pi, elevated protein levels of infected bees may reflect synthesis of antimicrobial peptides from an initial immune response, but the lack of protein gain compared with uninfected bees at 14 days pi may represent low de novo protein synthesis. Carbohydrate data do not indicate that hosts experience severe metabolic stress related to this nutrient. At 14 days pi infected honey bees show high respirometric and activity levels, and corresponding lipid loss, suggesting lipids may be used as fuel for increased metabolic demands resulting from infection. Accelerated lipid loss during nurse honey bee behavioral development can have cascading effects on downstream physiology that may lead to precocious foraging, which is a major factor driving colony collapse.
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16
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Glavinic U, Stankovic B, Draskovic V, Stevanovic J, Petrovic T, Lakic N, Stanimirovic Z. Dietary amino acid and vitamin complex protects honey bee from immunosuppression caused by Nosema ceranae. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0187726. [PMID: 29117233 PMCID: PMC5678887 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0187726] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2017] [Accepted: 08/30/2017] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Microsporidium Nosema ceranae is well known for exerting a negative impact on honey bee health, including down-regulation of immunoregulatory genes. Protein nutrition has been proven to have beneficial effects on bee immunity and other aspects of bee health. Bearing this in mind, the aim of our study was to evaluate the potential of a dietary amino acid and vitamin complex “BEEWELL AminoPlus” to protect honey bees from immunosuppression induced by N. ceranae. In a laboratory experiment bees were infected with N. ceranae and treated with supplement on first, third, sixth and ninth day after emergence. The expression of genes for immune-related peptides (abaecin, apidaecin, hymenoptaecin, defensin and vitellogenin) was compared between groups. The results revealed significantly lower (p<0.01 or p<0.001) numbers of Nosema spores in supplemented groups than in the control especially on day 12 post infection. With the exception of abacein, the expression levels of immune-related peptides were significantly suppressed (p<0.01 or p<0.001) in control group on the 12th day post infection, compared to bees that received the supplement. It was supposed that N. ceranae had a negative impact on bee immunity and that the tested amino acid and vitamin complex modified the expression of immune-related genes in honey bees compromised by infection, suggesting immune-stimulation that reflects in the increase in resistance to diseases and reduced bee mortality. The supplement exerted best efficacy when applied simultaneously with Nosema infection, which can help us to assume the most suitable period for its application in the hive.
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Affiliation(s)
- Uros Glavinic
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia
- * E-mail:
| | - Biljana Stankovic
- Laboratory for Molecular Biomedicine, Institute of Molecular Genetics and Genetic Engineering, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Vladimir Draskovic
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Jevrosima Stevanovic
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Tamas Petrovic
- Scientific Veterinary Institute “Novi Sad”, Novi Sad, Serbia
| | - Nada Lakic
- Department of Statistics, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Zoran Stanimirovic
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia
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17
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Gisder S, Schüler V, Horchler LL, Groth D, Genersch E. Long-Term Temporal Trends of Nosema spp. Infection Prevalence in Northeast Germany: Continuous Spread of Nosema ceranae, an Emerging Pathogen of Honey Bees ( Apis mellifera), but No General Replacement of Nosema apis. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2017; 7:301. [PMID: 28730143 PMCID: PMC5498484 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2017.00301] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2017] [Accepted: 06/20/2017] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The Western honey bee (Apis mellifera) is widely used as commercial pollinator in worldwide agriculture and, therefore, plays an important role in global food security. Among the parasites and pathogens threatening health and survival of honey bees are two species of microsporidia, Nosema apis and Nosema ceranae. Nosema ceranae is considered an emerging pathogen of the Western honey bee. Reports on the spread of N. ceranae suggested that this presumably highly virulent species is replacing its more benign congener N. apis in the global A. mellifera population. We here present a 12 year longitudinal cohort study on the prevalence of N. apis and N. ceranae in Northeast Germany. Between 2005 and 2016, a cohort of about 230 honey bee colonies originating from 23 apiaries was sampled twice a year (spring and autumn) resulting in a total of 5,600 bee samples which were subjected to microscopic and molecular analysis for determining the presence of infections with N. apis or/and N. ceranae. Throughout the entire study period, both N. apis- and N. ceranae-infections could be diagnosed within the cohort. Logistic regression analysis of the prevalence data demonstrated a significant increase of N. ceranae-infections over the last 12 years, both in autumn (reflecting the development during the summer) and in spring (reflecting the development over winter) samples. Cell culture experiments confirmed that N. ceranae has a higher proliferative potential than N. apis at 27° and 33°C potentially explaining the increase in N. ceranae prevalence during summer. In autumn, characterized by generally low infection prevalence, this increase was accompanied by a significant decrease in N. apis-infection prevalence. In contrast, in spring, the season with a higher prevalence of infection, no significant decrease of N. apis infections despite a significant increase in N. ceranae infections could be observed. Therefore, our data do not support a general advantage of N. ceranae over N. apis and an overall replacement of N. apis by N. ceranae in the studied honey bee population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sebastian Gisder
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Bee Diseases, Institute for Bee ResearchHohen Neuendorf, Germany
| | - Vivian Schüler
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Bee Diseases, Institute for Bee ResearchHohen Neuendorf, Germany
| | - Lennart L Horchler
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Bee Diseases, Institute for Bee ResearchHohen Neuendorf, Germany
| | - Detlef Groth
- Institute of Biochemistry and Biology, University of PotsdamPotsdam-Golm, Germany
| | - Elke Genersch
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Bee Diseases, Institute for Bee ResearchHohen Neuendorf, Germany.,Institut für Mikrobiologie und Tierseuchen, Freie Universität Berlin, Fachbereich VeterinärmedizinBerlin, Germany
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18
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Ansari MJ, Al-Ghamdi A, Nuru A, Khan KA, Alattal Y. Geographical distribution and molecular detection of Nosema ceranae from indigenous honey bees of Saudi Arabia. Saudi J Biol Sci 2017; 24:983-991. [PMID: 28663692 PMCID: PMC5478367 DOI: 10.1016/j.sjbs.2017.01.054] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2017] [Revised: 01/23/2017] [Accepted: 01/23/2017] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
The aim of the study was to detect the infection level of honey bees with Nosema apis and/or Nosema ceranae using microscopic and molecular analysis from indigenous honeybee race of eight Saudi Arabian geographical regions. A detailed survey was conducted and fifty apiaries were chosen at random from these locations. Infection level was determined both by microscope and Multiplex-PCR and data were analyzed using bioinformatics tools and phylogenetic analysis. Result showed that N. ceranae was the only species infecting indigenous honeybee colonies in Saudi Arabia. As determined by microscope, Nosema spores were found to be in 20.59% of total samples colonies, while 58% of the samples evaluated by PCR were found to be positive for N. ceranae, with the highest prevalence in Al-Bahah, a tropical wet and dry climatic region, whereas low prevalence was found in the regions with hot arid climate. Honeybees from all eight locations surveyed were positive for N. ceranae. This is the first report about the N. ceranae detection, contamination level and distribution pattern in Saudi Arabia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohammad Javed Ansari
- Bee Research Chair, Department of Plant Protection, College of Food and Agriculture Sciences, King Saud University, Riyadh 11451, PO Box 2460, Saudi Arabia
| | - Ahmad Al-Ghamdi
- Bee Research Chair, Department of Plant Protection, College of Food and Agriculture Sciences, King Saud University, Riyadh 11451, PO Box 2460, Saudi Arabia
| | - Adgaba Nuru
- Bee Research Chair, Department of Plant Protection, College of Food and Agriculture Sciences, King Saud University, Riyadh 11451, PO Box 2460, Saudi Arabia
| | - Khalid Ali Khan
- Bee Research Chair, Department of Plant Protection, College of Food and Agriculture Sciences, King Saud University, Riyadh 11451, PO Box 2460, Saudi Arabia
| | - Yehya Alattal
- Bee Research Chair, Department of Plant Protection, College of Food and Agriculture Sciences, King Saud University, Riyadh 11451, PO Box 2460, Saudi Arabia
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ÇAKMAK İ. ÜLKEMİZDE GÜNEY MARMARA BÖLGESİ’NDEKİ BAL ARILARINDA NOSEMA CERANAE’NİN MİKROSKOBİK VE MOLEKÜLER OLARAK BELİRLENMESİ. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2016. [DOI: 10.31467/uluaricilik.379261] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
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20
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Guerrero-Molina C, Correa-Benítez A, Hamiduzzaman MM, Guzman-Novoa E. Nosema ceranae is an old resident of honey bee (Apis mellifera) colonies in Mexico, causing infection levels of one million spores per bee or higher during summer and fall. J Invertebr Pathol 2016; 141:38-40. [PMID: 27816748 DOI: 10.1016/j.jip.2016.11.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2016] [Revised: 09/07/2016] [Accepted: 11/01/2016] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
This study was conducted to identify Nosema spp. and to determine their infection levels in honey bee (Apis mellifera) samples collected in Mexico in 1995-1996. Samples of historical surveys from different countries are of particular interest to support or challenge the hypothesis that the microsporidium Nosema ceranae is a new parasite of A. mellifera that has recently dispersed across the world. We demonstrate that N. ceranae has parasitized honey bees in Mexico since at least 1995 and that the infection levels of this parasite during summer and fall, exceed the threshold at which treatment of honey bee colonies is recommended.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Adriana Correa-Benítez
- Departamento de Producción Animal: Abejas, FMVZ, UNAM, Cd. Univ., Mexico DF 04510, Mexico
| | - Mollah Md Hamiduzzaman
- School of Environmental Sciences, University of Guelph, 50 Stone Road East, Guelph, Ontario N1G 2W1, Canada
| | - Ernesto Guzman-Novoa
- School of Environmental Sciences, University of Guelph, 50 Stone Road East, Guelph, Ontario N1G 2W1, Canada.
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21
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Silencing the Honey Bee (Apis mellifera) Naked Cuticle Gene (nkd) Improves Host Immune Function and Reduces Nosema ceranae Infections. Appl Environ Microbiol 2016; 82:6779-6787. [PMID: 27613683 DOI: 10.1128/aem.02105-16] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2016] [Accepted: 09/06/2016] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Nosema ceranae is a new and emerging microsporidian parasite of European honey bees, Apis mellifera, that has been implicated in colony losses worldwide. RNA interference (RNAi), a posttranscriptional gene silencing mechanism, has emerged as a potent and specific strategy for controlling infections of parasites and pathogens in honey bees. While previous studies have focused on the silencing of parasite/pathogen virulence factors, we explore here the possibility of silencing a host factor as a mechanism for reducing parasite load. Specifically, we used an RNAi strategy to reduce the expression of a honey bee gene, naked cuticle (nkd), which is a negative regulator of host immune function. Our studies found that nkd mRNA levels in adult bees were upregulated by N. ceranae infection (and thus, the parasite may use this mechanism to suppress host immune function) and that ingestion of double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) specific to nkd efficiently silenced its expression. Furthermore, we found that RNAi-mediated knockdown of nkd transcripts in Nosema-infected bees resulted in upregulation of the expression of several immune genes (Abaecin, Apidaecin, Defensin-1, and PGRP-S2), reduction of Nosema spore loads, and extension of honey bee life span. The results of our studies clearly indicate that silencing the host nkd gene can activate honey bee immune responses, suppress the reproduction of N. ceranae, and improve the overall health of honey bees. This study represents a novel host-derived therapeutic for honey bee disease treatment that merits further exploration. IMPORTANCE Given the critical role of honey bees in the pollination of agricultural crops, it is urgent to develop strategies to prevent the colony decline induced by the infection of parasites/pathogens. Targeting parasites and pathogens directly by RNAi has been proven to be useful for controlling infections in honey bees, but little is known about the disease impacts of RNAi silencing of host factors. Here, we demonstrate that knocking down the honey bee immune repressor-encoding nkd gene can suppress the reproduction of N. ceranae and improve the overall health of honey bees, which highlights the potential role of host-derived and RNAi-based therapeutics in controlling the infections in honey bees. The information obtained from this study will have positive implications for honey bee disease management practices.
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22
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Abstract
Nosema apis and Nosema ceranae are responsible for nosemosis in the honey bee (Apis mellifera). The aim of the study was to identify Nosema spp. during the honey flow season in bee colonies, for co-infection or no infection with Nosema apis/Nosema ceranae. Hive bees, forager bees, pollen grains brought by them, and bee bread were analysed. In the infected group, 12 of 30 samples of hive bees were infected with Nosema ceranae, 7 were co-infected, 3 were infected with Nosema apis. In samples of forager bees, 21 of 30 were co-infected, 8 were infected with Nosema ceranae. The analysis of pollen demonstrated that only 2 of 30 samples were infected with Nosema ceranae, 3 of 30 samples of bee bread were infected with Nosema ceranae, 3 were co-infected and 1 of 30 were infected with Nosema apis. In the uninfected group, 13 of 30 samples of hive bees were co-infected, 2 were infected with Nosema ceranae. In the forager bees group, 12 of 30 samples were co-infected, 2 were infected with Nosema ceranae. Only 1 pollen sample was infected with Nosema ceranae and 1 was co-infected, 2 of 30 samples of bee bread were co-infected, 2 were infected with Nosema ceranae. The study demonstrated that during the honey flow season, infection by microsporidian species occurs mainly in forager bees. Pollen and bee bread may be a source of spores mainly at the beginning of the honey flow season.
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McGowan J, De la Mora A, Goodwin PH, Habash M, Hamiduzzaman MM, Kelly PG, Guzman-Novoa E. Viability and infectivity of fresh and cryopreserved Nosema ceranae spores. J Microbiol Methods 2016; 131:16-22. [PMID: 27693753 DOI: 10.1016/j.mimet.2016.09.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2016] [Revised: 09/26/2016] [Accepted: 09/27/2016] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
The microsporidium fungus Nosema ceranae is an intracellular parasite that infects the midgut of the honey bee, Apis mellifera. A major limitation of research on N. ceranae is that the fungus is non-culturable and thus studying it depends on the seasonal availability of Nosema spores. Also, spore viability and infectivity can vary considerably, and thus there is a need for reliable methods for determining those traits. This study examined different conditions for N. ceranae spore cryopreservation at -70°C, assessing spore viability and infectivity. Viability was determined by a staining procedure counting total spores numbers with bright field microscopy and un-viable spore numbers with the fluorescent dye, propidium iodide. Spore infectivity was determined with a dilution inoculation assay. Infectivity was dependent on the inoculum dose for the proportion of bees with detectable Nosema infections based on the number of spores per bee at 18days after inoculation; 4000 spores per bee or higher were needed to get approx. 100% of the inoculated bees infected. The median infective dose (ID50) was 149 spores per bee, and the minimum dose capable of causing a detectable infection was 1.28 spores. The proportion of N. ceranae infected bees correlated significantly with the number of spores per bee (r=0.98, P<0.0001). N. ceranae spores cryopreserved in water or 10% glycerol did not differ in viability compared to fresh spores, but lost infectivity when inoculated into bees. This study shows that while cryopreservation of N. ceranae spores can preserve viability, the spores can have reduced infectivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Janine McGowan
- School of Environmental Sciences, University of Guelph, 50 Stone Road East, Guelph, Ontario N1G2W1, Canada
| | - Alvaro De la Mora
- Departamento de Producción Animal: Abejas, FMVZ, UNAM, Cd. Univ., Mexico DF 04510, Mexico
| | - Paul H Goodwin
- School of Environmental Sciences, University of Guelph, 50 Stone Road East, Guelph, Ontario N1G2W1, Canada
| | - Marc Habash
- School of Environmental Sciences, University of Guelph, 50 Stone Road East, Guelph, Ontario N1G2W1, Canada
| | - Mollah Md Hamiduzzaman
- School of Environmental Sciences, University of Guelph, 50 Stone Road East, Guelph, Ontario N1G2W1, Canada
| | - Paul G Kelly
- School of Environmental Sciences, University of Guelph, 50 Stone Road East, Guelph, Ontario N1G2W1, Canada
| | - Ernesto Guzman-Novoa
- School of Environmental Sciences, University of Guelph, 50 Stone Road East, Guelph, Ontario N1G2W1, Canada.
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24
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Effects of Nosema apis, N. ceranae, and coinfections on honey bee (Apis mellifera) learning and memory. Sci Rep 2016; 6:22626. [PMID: 26961062 PMCID: PMC4785390 DOI: 10.1038/srep22626] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2015] [Accepted: 10/20/2015] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Western honey bees (Apis mellifera) face an increasing number of challenges that in recent years have led to significant economic effects on apiculture, with attendant consequences for agriculture. Nosemosis is a fungal infection of honey bees caused by either Nosema apis or N. ceranae. The putative greater virulence of N. ceranae has spurred interest in understanding how it differs from N. apis. Little is known of effects of N. apis or N. ceranae on honey bee learning and memory. Following a Pavlovian model that relies on the proboscis extension reflex, we compared acquisition learning and long-term memory recall of uninfected (control) honey bees versus those inoculated with N. apis, N. ceranae, or both. We also tested whether spore intensity was associated with variation in learning and memory. Neither learning nor memory differed among treatments. There was no evidence of a relationship between spore intensity and learning, and only limited evidence of a negative effect on memory; this occurred only in the co-inoculation treatment. Our results suggest that if Nosema spp. are contributing to unusually high colony losses in recent years, the mechanism by which they may affect honey bees is probably not related to effects on learning or memory, at least as assessed by the proboscis extension reflex.
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25
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Retschnig G, Williams GR, Odemer R, Boltin J, Di Poto C, Mehmann MM, Retschnig P, Winiger P, Rosenkranz P, Neumann P. Effects, but no interactions, of ubiquitous pesticide and parasite stressors on honey bee (Apis mellifera) lifespan and behaviour in a colony environment. Environ Microbiol 2015; 17:4322-31. [PMID: 25728008 DOI: 10.1111/1462-2920.12825] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2014] [Revised: 02/12/2015] [Accepted: 02/22/2015] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Interactions between pesticides and parasites are believed to be responsible for increased mortality of honey bee (Apis mellifera) colonies in the northern hemisphere. Previous efforts have employed experimental approaches using small groups under laboratory conditions to investigate influence of these stressors on honey bee physiology and behaviour, although both the colony level and field conditions play a key role for eusocial honey bees. Here, we challenged honey bee workers under in vivo colony conditions with sublethal doses of the neonicotinoid thiacloprid, the miticide tau-fluvalinate and the endoparasite Nosema ceranae, to investigate potential effects on longevity and behaviour using observation hives. In contrast to previous laboratory studies, our results do not suggest interactions among stressors, but rather lone effects of pesticides and the parasite on mortality and behaviour, respectively. These effects appear to be weak due to different outcomes at the two study sites, thereby suggesting that the role of thiacloprid, tau-fluvalinate and N. ceranae and interactions among them may have been overemphasized. In the future, investigations into the effects of honey bee stressors should prioritize the use of colonies maintained under a variety of environmental conditions in order to obtain more biologically relevant data.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gina Retschnig
- Agroscope, Swiss Bee Research Centre, Bern, Switzerland.,Institute of Bee Health, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Geoffrey R Williams
- Agroscope, Swiss Bee Research Centre, Bern, Switzerland.,Institute of Bee Health, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Richard Odemer
- Apicultural State Institute, University of Hohenheim, Stuttgart, Germany
| | - Janina Boltin
- Apicultural State Institute, University of Hohenheim, Stuttgart, Germany
| | - Cornelia Di Poto
- Apicultural State Institute, University of Hohenheim, Stuttgart, Germany
| | - Marion M Mehmann
- Agroscope, Swiss Bee Research Centre, Bern, Switzerland.,Institute of Bee Health, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Peter Retschnig
- Agroscope, Swiss Bee Research Centre, Bern, Switzerland.,Institute of Bee Health, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Pius Winiger
- Agroscope, Swiss Bee Research Centre, Bern, Switzerland.,Institute of Bee Health, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Peter Rosenkranz
- Apicultural State Institute, University of Hohenheim, Stuttgart, Germany
| | - Peter Neumann
- Agroscope, Swiss Bee Research Centre, Bern, Switzerland.,Institute of Bee Health, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.,Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
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Gisder S, Genersch E. Identification of candidate agents active against N. ceranae infection in honey bees: establishment of a medium throughput screening assay based on N. ceranae infected cultured cells. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0117200. [PMID: 25658121 PMCID: PMC4320070 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0117200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2014] [Accepted: 12/20/2014] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Many flowering plants in both natural ecosytems and agriculture are dependent on insect pollination for fruit set and seed production. Managed honey bees (Apis mellifera) and wild bees are key pollinators providing this indispensable eco- and agrosystem service. Like all other organisms, bees are attacked by numerous pathogens and parasites. Nosema apis is a honey bee pathogenic microsporidium which is widely distributed in honey bee populations without causing much harm. Its congener Nosema ceranae was originally described as pathogen of the Eastern honey bee (Apis cerana) but jumped host from A. cerana to A. mellifera about 20 years ago and spilled over from A. mellifera to Bombus spp. quite recently. N. ceranae is now considered a deadly emerging parasite of both Western honey bees and bumblebees. Hence, novel and sustainable treatment strategies against N. ceranae are urgently needed to protect honey and wild bees. We here present the development of an in vitro medium throughput screening assay for the identification of candidate agents active against N. ceranae infections. This novel assay is based on our recently developed cell culture model for N. ceranae and coupled with an RT-PCR-ELISA protocol for quantification of N. ceranae in infected cells. The assay has been adapted to the 96-well microplate format to allow automated analysis. Several substances with known (fumagillin) or presumed (surfactin) or no (paromomycin) activity against N. ceranae were tested as well as substances for which no data concerning N. ceranae inhibition existed. While fumagillin and two nitroimidazoles (metronidazole, tinidazole) totally inhibited N. ceranae proliferation, all other test substances were inactive. In summary, the assay proved suitable for substance screening and demonstrated the activity of two synthetic antibiotics against N. ceranae.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sebastian Gisder
- Institute for Bee Research, Department of Molecular Microbiology and Bee Diseases, Hohen Neuendorf, Germany
| | - Elke Genersch
- Institute for Bee Research, Department of Molecular Microbiology and Bee Diseases, Hohen Neuendorf, Germany
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Bekele AZ, Mor SK, Phelps NB, Goyal SM, Armién AG. A case report ofNosema ceranaeinfection in honey bees in Minnesota, USA. Vet Q 2015; 35:48-50. [DOI: 10.1080/01652176.2014.981766] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/24/2022] Open
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Development of the microsporidian parasite, Loma salmonae, in a rainbow trout gill epithelial cell line (RTG-1): evidence of xenoma development in vitro. Parasitology 2014; 142:326-31. [DOI: 10.1017/s0031182014001620] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
SUMMARYGrowth and propagation of fish-infecting microsporidians within cell culture has been more difficult to achieve than for insect- and human-infecting microsporidians. Fish microsporidia tend to elicit xenoma development rather than diffuse growth in vivo, and this process likely increases host specificity. We present evidence that the fish microsporidian, Loma salmonae, has the capacity to develop xenomas within a rainbow trout gill epithelial cell line (RTG-1). Spore numbers increased over a 4 weeks period within cell culture flasks. Xenoma-like structures were observed using phase contrast microscopy, and then confirmed using transmission electron microscopy. Optimization of the L. salmonae-RTG-1 cell model has important implications in elucidating the process of xenoma development induced by microsporidian parasites.
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Van der Zee R, Gómez-Moracho T, Pisa L, Sagastume S, García-Palencia P, Maside X, Bartolomé C, Martín-Hernández R, Higes M. Virulence and polar tube protein genetic diversity of Nosema ceranae (Microsporidia) field isolates from Northern and Southern Europe in honeybees (Apis mellifera iberiensis). ENVIRONMENTAL MICROBIOLOGY REPORTS 2014; 6:401-413. [PMID: 24992540 DOI: 10.1111/1758-2229.12133] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2013] [Accepted: 12/05/2013] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
Infection of honeybees by the microsporidian Nosema ceranae is considered to be one of the factors underlying the increased colony losses and decreased honey production seen in recent years. However, these effects appear to differ in function of the climatic zone, the distinct beekeeping practices and the honeybee species employed. Here, we compared the response of Apis mellifera iberiensis worker bees to experimental infection with field isolates of N. ceranae from an Oceanic climate zone in Northern Europe (Netherlands) and from a Mediterranean region of Southern Europe (Spain). We found a notable but non-significant trend (P = 0.097) towards higher honeybee survival for bees infected with N. ceranae from the Netherlands, although no differences were found between the two isolates in terms of anatomopathological lesions in infected ventricular cells or the morphology of the mature and immature stages of the parasite. In addition, the population genetic survey of the N. ceranae PTP3 locus revealed high levels of genetic diversity within each isolate, evidence for meiotic recombination, and no signs of differentiation between the Dutch and Spanish populations. A cross-infection study is needed to further explore the differences in virulence observed between the two N. ceranae populations in field conditions.
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Williams GR, Shutler D, Burgher-MacLellan KL, Rogers REL. Infra-population and -community dynamics of the parasites Nosema apis and Nosema ceranae, and consequences for honey bee (Apis mellifera) hosts. PLoS One 2014; 9:e99465. [PMID: 24987989 PMCID: PMC4079283 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0099465] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2014] [Accepted: 05/14/2014] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Nosema spp. fungal gut parasites are among myriad possible explanations for contemporary increased mortality of western honey bees (Apis mellifera, hereafter honey bee) in many regions of the world. Invasive Nosema ceranae is particularly worrisome because some evidence suggests it has greater virulence than its congener N. apis. N. ceranae appears to have recently switched hosts from Asian honey bees (Apis cerana) and now has a nearly global distribution in honey bees, apparently displacing N. apis. We examined parasite reproduction and effects of N. apis, N. ceranae, and mixed Nosema infections on honey bee hosts in laboratory experiments. Both infection intensity and honey bee mortality were significantly greater for N. ceranae than for N. apis or mixed infections; mixed infection resulted in mortality similar to N. apis parasitism and reduced spore intensity, possibly due to inter-specific competition. This is the first long-term laboratory study to demonstrate lethal consequences of N. apis and N. ceranae and mixed Nosema parasitism in honey bees, and suggests that differences in reproduction and intra-host competition may explain apparent heterogeneous exclusion of the historic parasite by the invasive species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Geoffrey R. Williams
- Department of Biology, Acadia University, Wolfville, Nova Scotia, Canada
- Department of Biology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
- Institute of Bee Health, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
- Agroscope, Swiss Bee Research Centre, Bern, Switzerland
- * E-mail:
| | - Dave Shutler
- Department of Biology, Acadia University, Wolfville, Nova Scotia, Canada
| | - Karen L. Burgher-MacLellan
- Atlantic Food and Horticulture Research Centre, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. Kentville, Nova Scotia, Canada
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Shutler D, Head K, Burgher-MacLellan KL, Colwell MJ, Levitt AL, Ostiguy N, Williams GR. Honey bee Apis mellifera parasites in the absence of Nosema ceranae fungi and Varroa destructor mites. PLoS One 2014; 9:e98599. [PMID: 24955834 PMCID: PMC4067279 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0098599] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2013] [Accepted: 05/05/2014] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Few areas of the world have western honey bee (Apis mellifera) colonies that are free of invasive parasites Nosema ceranae (fungi) and Varroa destructor (mites). Particularly detrimental is V. destructor; in addition to feeding on host haemolymph, these mites are important vectors of several viruses that are further implicated as contributors to honey bee mortality around the world. Thus, the biogeography and attendant consequences of viral communities in the absence of V. destructor are of significant interest. The island of Newfoundland, Province of Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada, is free of V. destructor; the absence of N. ceranae has not been confirmed. Of 55 Newfoundland colonies inspected visually for their strength and six signs of disease, only K-wing had prevalence above 5% (40/55 colonies = 72.7%). Similar to an earlier study, screenings again confirmed the absence of V. destructor, small hive beetles Aethina tumida (Murray), tracheal mites Acarapis woodi (Rennie), and Tropilaelaps spp. ectoparasitic mites. Of a subset of 23 colonies screened molecularly for viruses, none had Israeli acute paralysis virus, Kashmir bee virus, or sacbrood virus. Sixteen of 23 colonies (70.0%) were positive for black queen cell virus, and 21 (91.3%) had some evidence for deformed wing virus. No N. ceranae was detected in molecular screens of 55 colonies, although it is possible extremely low intensity infections exist; the more familiar N. apis was found in 53 colonies (96.4%). Under these conditions, K-wing was associated (positively) with colony strength; however, viruses and N. apis were not. Furthermore, black queen cell virus was positively and negatively associated with K-wing and deformed wing virus, respectively. Newfoundland honey bee colonies are thus free of several invasive parasites that plague operations in other parts of the world, and they provide a unique research arena to study independent pathology of the parasites that are present.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dave Shutler
- Department of Biology, Acadia University, Wolfville, Nova Scotia, Canada
| | - Krista Head
- Agri-Foods Branch, Forestry and Agri-Foods Agency, Department of Natural Resources, Government of Newfoundland and Labrador, Corner Brook, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada
| | - Karen L. Burgher-MacLellan
- Atlantic Food and Horticulture Research Centre, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Kentville, Nova Scotia, Canada
| | - Megan J. Colwell
- Department of Biology, Acadia University, Wolfville, Nova Scotia, Canada
| | - Abby L. Levitt
- Department of Entomology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Nancy Ostiguy
- Department of Entomology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Geoffrey R. Williams
- Department of Biology, Acadia University, Wolfville, Nova Scotia, Canada
- Department of Biology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
- Institute of Bee Health, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
- Agroscope, Swiss Bee Research Centre, Bern, Switzerland
- * E-mail:
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van den Heever JP, Thompson TS, Curtis JM, Ibrahim A, Pernal SF. Fumagillin: an overview of recent scientific advances and their significance for apiculture. JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL AND FOOD CHEMISTRY 2014; 62:2728-37. [PMID: 24621007 DOI: 10.1021/jf4055374] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
Fumagillin is a potent fungal metabolite first isolated from Aspergillus fumigatus. It is widely used in apiculture and human medicine against a variety of microsporidian fungal infections. It has been the subject of research in cancer treatments by employing its angiogenesis inhibitory properties. The toxicity of fumagillin has limited its use for human applications and spurred the development of analogues using structure-activity relationships relating to its angiogenesis properties. These discoveries may hold the key to the development of alternative chemical treatments for use in apiculture. The toxicity of fumagillin to humans is important for beekeeping, because any residues remaining in hive products pose a direct risk to the consumer. The analytical methods published to date measure fumagillin and its decomposition products but overlook the dicyclohexylamine counterion of the salt form widely used in apiculture.
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Affiliation(s)
- Johan P van den Heever
- Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development , Animal Health and Assurance Division, Agri-Food Laboratories Branch, 6909-116 Street, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada T6H 4P2
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Presence of Nosema ceranae associated with honeybee queen introductions. INFECTION GENETICS AND EVOLUTION 2014; 23:161-8. [DOI: 10.1016/j.meegid.2014.02.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2013] [Revised: 01/17/2014] [Accepted: 02/07/2014] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
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Retschnig G, Williams GR, Mehmann MM, Yañez O, de Miranda JR, Neumann P. Sex-specific differences in pathogen susceptibility in honey bees (Apis mellifera). PLoS One 2014; 9:e85261. [PMID: 24465518 PMCID: PMC3894969 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0085261] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2013] [Accepted: 11/25/2013] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Sex-related differences in susceptibility to pathogens are a common phenomenon in animals. In the eusocial Hymenoptera the two female castes, workers and queens, are diploid and males are haploid. The haploid susceptibility hypothesis predicts that haploid males are more susceptible to pathogen infections compared to females. Here we test this hypothesis using adult male (drone) and female (worker) honey bees (Apis mellifera), inoculated with the gut endoparasite Nosema ceranae and/or black queen cell virus (BQCV). These pathogens were chosen due to previously reported synergistic interactions between Nosema apis and BQCV. Our data do not support synergistic interactions between N. ceranae and BQCV and also suggest that BQCV has limited effect on both drone and worker health, regardless of the infection level. However, the data clearly show that, despite lower levels of N. ceranae spores in drones than in workers, Nosema-infected drones had both a higher mortality and a lower body mass than non-infected drones, across all treatment groups, while the mortality and body mass of worker bees were largely unaffected by N. ceranae infection, suggesting that drones are more susceptible to this pathogen than workers. In conclusion, the data reveal considerable sex-specific differences in pathogen susceptibility in honey bees and highlight the importance of ultimate measures for determining susceptibility, such as mortality and body quality, rather than mere infection levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gina Retschnig
- Swiss Bee Research Centre, Research Station Agroscope Liebefeld-Posieux ALP-HARAS, Bern, Switzerland ; Institute of Bee Health, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Geoffrey R Williams
- Swiss Bee Research Centre, Research Station Agroscope Liebefeld-Posieux ALP-HARAS, Bern, Switzerland ; Institute of Bee Health, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland ; Department of Biology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
| | - Marion M Mehmann
- Swiss Bee Research Centre, Research Station Agroscope Liebefeld-Posieux ALP-HARAS, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Orlando Yañez
- Swiss Bee Research Centre, Research Station Agroscope Liebefeld-Posieux ALP-HARAS, Bern, Switzerland ; Institute of Bee Health, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Joachim R de Miranda
- Department of Ecology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Peter Neumann
- Swiss Bee Research Centre, Research Station Agroscope Liebefeld-Posieux ALP-HARAS, Bern, Switzerland ; Institute of Bee Health, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland ; Social Insect Research Group, Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
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Martin SJ, Hardy J, Villalobos E, Martín-Hernández R, Nikaido S, Higes M. Do the honeybee pathogens Nosema ceranae and deformed wing virus act synergistically? ENVIRONMENTAL MICROBIOLOGY REPORTS 2013; 5:506-10. [PMID: 23864563 PMCID: PMC3806273 DOI: 10.1111/1758-2229.12052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2013] [Accepted: 02/25/2013] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
The honeybee pathogens Nosema ceranae and deformed wing virus (DWV) cause the collapse of honeybee colonies. Therefore, it is plausible that these two pathogens act synergistically to increase colony losses, since N.ceranae causes damage to the mid-gut epithelial ventricular cells and actively suppresses the honeybees' immune response, either of which could increase the virulence of viral pathogens within the bee. To test this hypothesis we exploited 322 Hawaiian honeybee colonies for which DWV prevalence and load is known. We determined via PCR that N.ceranae was present in 89-95% of these colonies, with no Nosema apis being detected. We found no significant difference in spore counts in colonies infected with DWV and those in which DWV was not detected, either on any of the four islands or across the entire honeybee population. Furthermore, no significant correlation between DWV loads (ΔCT levels) and N.ceranae spore counts was found, so these two pathogens are not acting synergistically. Although the Hawaiian honeybees have the highest known prevalence of N.ceranae in the world, with average number of spores been 2.7 million per bee, no acute Nosema related problems i.e. large-scale colony deaths, have been reported by Hawaiian beekeepers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephen J Martin
- School of Environment and Life Sciences, University of Salford, Greater Manchester, M5 4WT, UK.
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36
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Higes M, Meana A, Bartolomé C, Botías C, Martín-Hernández R. Nosema ceranae (Microsporidia), a controversial 21st century honey bee pathogen. ENVIRONMENTAL MICROBIOLOGY REPORTS 2013; 5:17-29. [PMID: 23757127 DOI: 10.1111/1758-2229.12024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 122] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2012] [Revised: 12/03/2012] [Accepted: 12/05/2012] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
The worldwide beekeeping sector has been facing a grave threat, with losses up to 100-1000 times greater than those previously reported. Despite the scale of this honey bee mortality, the causes underlying this phenomenon remain unclear, yet they are thought to be multifactorial processes. Nosema ceranae, a microsporidium recently detected in the European bee all over the world, has been implicated in the global phenomenon of colony loss, although its role remains controversial. A review of the current knowledge about this pathogen is presented focussing on discussion related with divergent results, trying to analyse the differences specially based on different methodologies applied and divisive aspects on pathology while considering a biological or veterinarian point of view. For authors, the disease produced by N. ceranae infection cannot be considered a regional problem but rather a global one, as indicated by the wide prevalence of this parasite in multiple hosts. Not only does this type of nosemosis causes a clear pathology on honeybees at both the individual and colony levels, but it also has significant effects on the production of honeybee products.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariano Higes
- Centro Apícola Regional CAR, Dirección General de la Producción Agropecuaria, Consejería de Agricultura, Junta de Castilla-La Mancha, Spain.
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Gisder S, Genersch E. Molecular differentiation of Nosema apis and Nosema ceranae based on species-specific sequence differences in a protein coding gene. J Invertebr Pathol 2013; 113:1-6. [PMID: 23352902 DOI: 10.1016/j.jip.2013.01.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2012] [Revised: 12/04/2012] [Accepted: 01/14/2013] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Nosema apis and Nosema ceranae are two microsporidian pathogens of the European honey bee, Apis mellifera. There is evidence that N. ceranae is more virulent than N. apis subject to environmental factors like climate. This makes N. ceranae one of the suspects in the increasing colony losses recently observed in many regions of the world. Correct differentiation between N. apis and N. ceranae is important and best accomplished by molecular methods. So far only protocols based on species-specific sequence differences in the 16S rRNA gene are available. However, recent studies indicated that these methods may lead to confusing results due to polymorphisms in and recombination between the multi-copy 16S rRNA genes. To solve this problem and to provide a reliable molecular tool for the differentiation between the two bee pathogenic microsporidia we here present and evaluate a duplex-PCR protocol based on species-specific sequence differences in the highly conserved gene coding for the DNA-dependent RNA polymerase II largest subunit. A total of 102 honey bee samples were analyzed by the novel PCR protocol and the results were compared with the results of the originally published PCR-RFLP analysis and two recently published differentiation protocols, based on 16S rRNA sequence differences. Although the novel PCR protocol proved to be as reliable as the 16S rRNA gene based PCR-RFLP it was superior to simple 16S rRNA based PCR protocols which tended to overestimate the rate of N. ceranae infections. Therefore, we propose that species-specific sequence differences of highly conserved protein coding genes should become the preferred molecular tool for differentiation of Nosema spp.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sebastian Gisder
- Institute for Bee Research, Friedrich-Engels-Str. 32, D-16540 Hohen Neuendorf, Germany
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Szalanski AL, Whitaker J, Tripodi AD, Cappy P. Prevalence ofNosemafrom Managed Honey Bee Colonies in South Dakota and New York1. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2013. [DOI: 10.3954/jaue13-03.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
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The microsporidian parasites Nosema ceranae and Nosema apis are widespread in honeybee (Apis mellifera) colonies across Scotland. Parasitol Res 2012. [PMID: 23180128 DOI: 10.1007/s00436-012-3195-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
Nosema ceranae is spreading into areas where Nosema apis already exists. N. ceranae has been reported to cause an asymptomatic infection that may lead, ultimately, to colony collapse. It is thought that there may be a temperature barrier to its infiltration into countries in colder climates. In this study, 71 colonies from Scottish Beekeeper's Association members have been screened for the presence of N. apis and N. ceranae across Scotland. We find that only 11 of the 71 colonies tested positive for spores by microscopy. However, 70.4 % of colonies screened by PCR revealed the presence of both N. ceranae and N. apis, with only 4.2 or 7 % having either strain alone and 18.3 % being Nosema free. A range of geographically separated colonies testing positive for N. ceranae were sequenced to confirm their identity. All nine sequences confirmed the presence of N. ceranae and indicated the presence of a single new variant. Furthermore, two of the spore-containing colonies had only N. ceranae present, and these exhibited the presence of smaller spores that could be distinguished from N. apis by the analysis of average spore size. Differential quantification of the PCR product revealed N. ceranae to be the dominant species in all seven samples tested. In conclusion, N. ceranae is widespread in Scotland where it exists in combination with the endemic N. apis. A single variant, identical to that found in France (DQ374655) except for the addition of a single nucleotide polymorphism, is present in Scotland.
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40
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Mulholland GE, Traver BE, Johnson NG, Fell RD. Individual Variability of Nosema ceranae Infections in Apis mellifera Colonies. INSECTS 2012; 3:1143-55. [PMID: 26466731 PMCID: PMC4553568 DOI: 10.3390/insects3041143] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2012] [Revised: 10/15/2012] [Accepted: 10/25/2012] [Indexed: 12/02/2022]
Abstract
Since 2006, beekeepers have reported increased losses of Apis mellifera colonies, and one factor that has been potentially implicated in these losses is the microsporidian Nosema ceranae. Since N. ceranae is a fairly recently discovered parasite, there is little knowledge of the variation in infection levels among individual workers within a colony. In this study we examined the levels of infection in individual bees from five colonies over three seasons using both spore counting and quantitative real-time PCR. The results show considerable intra-colony variation in infection intensity among individual workers with a higher percentage of low-level infections detected by PCR than by spore counting. Colonies generally had the highest percentage of infected bees in early summer (June) and the lowest levels in the fall (September). Nosema apis was detected in only 16/705 bees (2.3%) and always as a low-level co-infection with N. ceranae. The results also indicate that intra-colony variation in infection levels could influence the accuracy of Nosema diagnosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Grace E Mulholland
- Department of Entomology, Virginia Tech, 324 Price Hall, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA.
| | - Brenna E Traver
- Department of Entomology, Virginia Tech, 324 Price Hall, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA.
| | - Nels G Johnson
- Laboratory for Interdisciplinary Statistical Analysis (LISA), Department of Statistics, Virginia Tech, 405 Hutcheson Hall, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA.
| | - Richard D Fell
- Department of Entomology, Virginia Tech, 324 Price Hall, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA.
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Fernández JM, Puerta F, Cousinou M, Dios-Palomares R, Campano F, Redondo L. Asymptomatic presence of Nosema spp. in Spanish commercial apiaries. J Invertebr Pathol 2012; 111:106-10. [PMID: 22820066 DOI: 10.1016/j.jip.2012.06.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2011] [Revised: 06/22/2012] [Accepted: 06/26/2012] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
Nosemosis is caused by intracellular parasites (Nosema apis and Nosema ceranae) that infect the midgut epithelial cells in adult honey bees. Recent studies relate N. ceranae to Colony Collapse Disorder and there is some suggestion that Nosema spp., especially N. ceranae, induces high mortality in honey bees, a fact that is considered as a serious threat for colony survival. 604 samples of adult honey bees for Nosema spp. analysis were collected from beekeeping colonies across Spain and were analysed using PCR with capillary electrophoresis. We also monitored 77 Andalusian apiaries for 2 years; the sampled hives were standard healthy colonies, without any special disease symptoms. We found 100% presence of Nosema spp. in some locations, indicating that this parasite was widespread throughout the country. The two year monitoring indicated that 87% of the hives with Nosema spp. remained viable, with normal honey production and biological development during this period of time. The results of these trials indicated that both N. ceranae and N. apis could be present in these beehives without causing disease symptom and that there is no evidence for the replacement of N. apis by N. ceranae, supporting the hypothesis that nosemosis is not the main reason of the collapse and death of beehives.
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Dussaubat C, Brunet JL, Higes M, Colbourne JK, Lopez J, Choi JH, Martín-Hernández R, Botías C, Cousin M, McDonnell C, Bonnet M, Belzunces LP, Moritz RFA, Le Conte Y, Alaux C. Gut pathology and responses to the microsporidium Nosema ceranae in the honey bee Apis mellifera. PLoS One 2012; 7:e37017. [PMID: 22623972 PMCID: PMC3356400 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0037017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 142] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2011] [Accepted: 04/12/2012] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The microsporidium Nosema ceranae is a newly prevalent parasite of the European honey bee (Apis mellifera). Although this parasite is presently spreading across the world into its novel host, the mechanisms by it which affects the bees and how bees respond are not well understood. We therefore performed an extensive characterization of the parasite effects at the molecular level by using genetic and biochemical tools. The transcriptome modifications at the midgut level were characterized seven days post-infection with tiling microarrays. Then we tested the bee midgut response to infection by measuring activity of antioxidant and detoxification enzymes (superoxide dismutases, glutathione peroxidases, glutathione reductase, and glutathione-S-transferase). At the gene-expression level, the bee midgut responded to N. ceranae infection by an increase in oxidative stress concurrent with the generation of antioxidant enzymes, defense and protective response specifically observed in the gut of mammals and insects. However, at the enzymatic level, the protective response was not confirmed, with only glutathione-S-transferase exhibiting a higher activity in infected bees. The oxidative stress was associated with a higher transcription of sugar transporter in the gut. Finally, a dramatic effect of the microsporidia infection was the inhibition of genes involved in the homeostasis and renewal of intestinal tissues (Wnt signaling pathway), a phenomenon that was confirmed at the histological level. This tissue degeneration and prevention of gut epithelium renewal may explain early bee death. In conclusion, our integrated approach not only gives new insights into the pathological effects of N. ceranae and the bee gut response, but also demonstrate that the honey bee gut is an interesting model system for studying host defense responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claudia Dussaubat
- INRA, UR 406 Abeilles et Environnement, Site Agroparc, Avignon, France
| | - Jean-Luc Brunet
- INRA, UR 406 Abeilles et Environnement, Site Agroparc, Avignon, France
| | - Mariano Higes
- Bee Pathology Laboratory, Centro Apícola Regional, JCCM, Marchamalo, Spain
| | - John K. Colbourne
- The Centre for Genomics and Bioinformatics, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana, United States of America
| | - Jacqueline Lopez
- The Centre for Genomics and Bioinformatics, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana, United States of America
| | - Jeong-Hyeon Choi
- The Centre for Genomics and Bioinformatics, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana, United States of America
| | | | - Cristina Botías
- Bee Pathology Laboratory, Centro Apícola Regional, JCCM, Marchamalo, Spain
| | - Marianne Cousin
- INRA, UR 406 Abeilles et Environnement, Site Agroparc, Avignon, France
| | - Cynthia McDonnell
- INRA, UR 406 Abeilles et Environnement, Site Agroparc, Avignon, France
| | - Marc Bonnet
- INRA, UR 406 Abeilles et Environnement, Site Agroparc, Avignon, France
| | - Luc P. Belzunces
- INRA, UR 406 Abeilles et Environnement, Site Agroparc, Avignon, France
| | - Robin F. A. Moritz
- Institut für Biologie, Martin-Luther-Universität Halle-Wittenberg, Halle (Saale), Germany
| | - Yves Le Conte
- INRA, UR 406 Abeilles et Environnement, Site Agroparc, Avignon, France
| | - Cédric Alaux
- INRA, UR 406 Abeilles et Environnement, Site Agroparc, Avignon, France
- * E-mail:
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Nosema ceranae an emergent pathogen of Apis mellifera in Chile. Parasitol Res 2012; 111:601-7. [PMID: 22453498 DOI: 10.1007/s00436-012-2875-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2012] [Accepted: 02/21/2012] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
Abstract
The microsporidian Nosema apis and Nosema ceranae have been associated with colony disorders of Apis mellifera and Apis cerana, respectively. N. apis is endemic in South America. Recently, N. ceranae has been detected in Brazil, Uruguay and Argentina. No report of its presence, distribution and prevalence in Chile is available. Here, we present a real-time PCR-based method that was able to discriminate between N. apis and N. ceranae. The dynamic range of this assay was 100 to 100,000 spores per honeybee. False-negative results were avoided due to the use of ACTIN gene as internal standard. False-positive results were obtained neither in experimentally nor in naturally contaminated samples. Using this method, we screened 240 beehives from the Chilean region where 42% of the total country honey production take places (Región del Biobío). Nosema spp. were detected in the four provinces and in 20 of the 26 communes of the region. Among the samples analysed, 49% were positive for N. ceranae. Their infection level ranged from 200 to more than 100,000 spores per honeybee. N. apis was not detected in this region. Hence, our data show that in Chile N. ceranae is an emergent pathogen that is been replacing N. apis. Also, they support that N. ceranae maybe the actual responsible for nosemosis in A. mellifera in South America.
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Botías C, Anderson DL, Meana A, Garrido-Bailón E, Martín-Hernández R, Higes M. Further evidence of an oriental origin for Nosema ceranae (Microsporidia: Nosematidae). J Invertebr Pathol 2012; 110:108-13. [PMID: 22425522 DOI: 10.1016/j.jip.2012.02.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2011] [Revised: 02/25/2012] [Accepted: 02/29/2012] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
Abstract
Although Nosema ceranae was first isolated from the Asian honeybee (Apis cerana) in Asia and then subsequently recognized as a widespread gut parasite of the Western honeybee (Apis mellifera), its origins and primary host are yet to be accurately established. In this study we examined the possibility of an Asian origin for the parasite by looking for evidence of its ongoing spread out of Asia. To do this, we surveyed for the presence of N. ceranae in A. cerana and A. mellifera on isolated islands of the Solomon Islands (Pacific region), most of which were inhabited with A. mellifera that had been introduced from Australia and New Zealand at a time when N. ceranae was not present in either country, but on which some had also recently become inhabited with invasive A. cerana that originated from Asia with no prior history of contact with A. mellifera infected with N. ceranae. We also sought to verify previous findings that N. ceranae was widespread in Asian honeybees by surveying for its presence in isolated populations of the Asian honeybees, A. cerana, A. koschevnikovi, A. nigrocincta and A. florea. We obtained evidence that A. cerana introduced N. ceranae to A. mellifera in the Solomon Islands and also confirmed the widespread occurrence of the parasite in Asian honeybees, even reporting it for the first time in A. koschevnikovi from Borneo. Our findings provide further support for the hypothesis that N. ceranae has only recently emerged from Asia to become a parasite of A. mellifera.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cristina Botías
- Laboratorio de Patología Apícola, Centro Apícola Regional, CAR, Dirección General de la Producción Agropecuaria, Consejería de Agricultura, Junta de Comunidades de Castilla-La Mancha, 19180 Marchamalo, Spain.
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Martín-Hernández R, Botías C, Bailón EG, Martínez-Salvador A, Prieto L, Meana A, Higes M. Microsporidia infecting Apis mellifera: coexistence or competition. Is Nosema ceranae replacing Nosema apis? Environ Microbiol 2011; 14:2127-38. [PMID: 22176602 DOI: 10.1111/j.1462-2920.2011.02645.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 84] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
Nosema ceranae has been suggested to be replacing Nosema apis in some populations of Apis mellifera honeybees. However, this replacement from one to the other is not supported when studying the distribution and prevalence of both microsporidia in professional apiaries in Spanish territories (transverse study), their seasonal pattern in experimental hives with co-infection or their prevalence at individual level (either in worker bees or drones). Nevertheless, N.ceranae has shown to present a higher prevalence at all the studied levels that could indicate any advantage for its development over N.apis or that it is more adapted to Spanish conditions. Also, both microsporidia show a different pattern of preference for its development according to the prevalence in the different Spanish bioclimatic belts studied. Finally, the fact that all analyses were carried out using an Internal PCR Control (IPC) newly developed guarantees the confidence of the data extracted from the PCR analyses. This IPC provides a useful tool for laboratory detection of honeybee pathogens.
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46
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Traver BE, Williams MR, Fell RD. Comparison of within hive sampling and seasonal activity of Nosema ceranae in honey bee colonies. J Invertebr Pathol 2011; 109:187-93. [PMID: 22085836 DOI: 10.1016/j.jip.2011.11.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2011] [Revised: 10/18/2011] [Accepted: 11/01/2011] [Indexed: 10/15/2022]
Abstract
Nosema ceranae is a microsporidian parasite of the European honey bee, Apis mellifera, that is found worldwide and in multiple Apis spp.; however, little is known about the effects of N. ceranae on A. mellifera. Previous studies using spore counts suggest that there is no longer a seasonal cycle for N. ceranae and that it is found year round with little variation in infection intensity among months. Our goal was to determine whether infection levels differ in bees collected from different areas of the hive and if there may be seasonal differences in N. ceranae infections. A multiplex species-specific real-time PCR assay was used for the detection and quantification of N. ceranae. Colonies were sampled monthly from September 2009-2010 by collecting workers from honey supers, the fringe of the brood nest, and the brood nest. We found that all bees sampled were infected with N. ceranae and that there was no significant difference in infection levels among the different groups of bees sampled (P=0.74). However, significant differences in colony infection levels were found at different times of the year (P<0.01) with the highest levels in April-June and lower levels in the fall and winter. While our study was only performed for one year, it sheds light on the fact that there may be a seasonality to N. ceranae infections. Being able to predict future N. ceranae infections can be used to better advise beekeepers on N. ceranae management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brenna E Traver
- Department of Entomology, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA.
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47
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Smart MD, Sheppard WS. Nosema ceranae in age cohorts of the western honey bee (Apis mellifera). J Invertebr Pathol 2011; 109:148-51. [PMID: 22001631 DOI: 10.1016/j.jip.2011.09.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2011] [Revised: 07/26/2011] [Accepted: 09/23/2011] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Nosemaceranae intensity (mean spores per bee) and prevalence (proportion of bees infected in a sample) were analyzed in honey bees of known ages. Sealed brood combs from five colonies were removed, emerging bees were marked with paint, released back into their colonies of origin, and collected as recently emerged (0-3 days old), as house bees (8-11 days old), and as foragers (22-25 days old). Fifty bees from each of the five colonies were processed individually at each collection date for the intensity and prevalence of N. ceranae infection. Using PCR and specific primers to differentiate Nosema species, N. ceranae was found to be the only species present during the experiment. At each collection age (recent emergence, house, forager) an additional sample from the inner hive cover (background bees=BG) of each colony was collected to compare the N. ceranae results of this sampling method, commonly used for Nosema spore quantification, to the samples comprised of marked bees of known ages. No recently emerged bees exhibited infection with N. ceranae. One house bee out of the 250 individuals analyzed (prevalence=0.4%) tested positive for N. ceranae, at an infection level of 3.35×10(6) spores. Infection levels were not statistically different between the recently emerged (mean=0 spores/bee) and house bees (mean=1.34×10(4) spores/bee) (P=0.99). Foragers exhibited the highest prevalence (8.3%) and infection intensity (mean=2.38×10(6) spores/bee), with a range of 0-8.72×10(7) spores in individual bees. The average infection level across all foragers was significantly higher than that of recently emerged bees (P=0.01) and house bees (P=0.01). Finally, the prevalence of Nosema in infected bees was found to be positively correlated with the infection intensity in the sample.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew D Smart
- Washington State University, Dept. of Entomology, 166 FSHN Building, Pullman, WA 99164-6382, USA.
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48
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Genetic variation and widespread dispersal of Nosema ceranae in Apis mellifera apiaries from Argentina. Parasitol Res 2011; 110:859-64. [PMID: 21808980 DOI: 10.1007/s00436-011-2566-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2010] [Accepted: 07/19/2011] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
Abstract
Using molecular techniques, we documented the presence of Nosema ceranae in honeybees (Apis mellífera) from Argentina. Samples were collected from A. mellifera colonies in 38 districts of Buenos Aires province, Argentina. Molecular characterization was achieved with a multiplex PCR-based method, which allows parallel diagnosis of N. ceranae and N. osema apis. N. ceranae was identified in all the samples analyzed. Moreover, coinfections with N. apis were detected in Balcarce and Maipú districts. We identified three rRNA sequence variants of N. ceranae, which may represent diverse sources of bee importation. The results suggest that N. ceranae is widely distributed in Argentina and that the genetic variation observed between the different isolates could be related with the difference in the symptomatology found previously by our work group. Our results highlight the need to re-assess the health protocols currently in force so that they recognize N. ceranae as the main causal agent of Nosemosis in this country.
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Phylogenetic analysis of Nosema ceranae isolated from European and Asian honeybees in Northern Thailand. J Invertebr Pathol 2011; 107:229-33. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jip.2011.05.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2011] [Revised: 05/03/2011] [Accepted: 05/03/2011] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
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50
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Traver BE, Fell RD. Nosema ceranae in drone honey bees (Apis mellifera). J Invertebr Pathol 2011; 107:234-6. [PMID: 21621543 DOI: 10.1016/j.jip.2011.05.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2011] [Revised: 05/04/2011] [Accepted: 05/13/2011] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Nosema ceranae is a microsporidian intracellular parasite of honey bees, Apis mellifera. Previously Nosema apis was thought to be the only cause of nosemosis, but it has recently been proposed that N. ceranae is displacing N. apis. The rapid spread of N. ceranae could be due to additional transmission mechanisms, as well as higher infectivity. We analyzed drones for N. ceranae infections using duplex qPCR with species specific primers and probes. We found that both immature and mature drones are infected with N. ceranae at low levels. This is the first report detecting N. ceranae in immature bees. Our data suggest that because drones are known to drift from their parent hives to other hives, they could provide a means for disease spread within and between apiaries.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brenna E Traver
- Department of Entomology, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA.
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